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Summary List of stories Phase II Night: Ashes, Metal, And Corruption << chapter 40 Chapter 41 of 75 The Odd Couple chapter 42 >> << previous scene Scene 1 of 2 next scene >> Location Participants Time Summary Prologue | Phase I | Phase II | Epilogue 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 Text The library was crowded today with the meeting that had been called by Celestia, even Odin present... and surprisingly, Sleipnir and Kvasir as well. The enormous earth pony was serious today, however, and even Kvasir seemed a little on edge instead of his usual flippant self. Others around the enormous round table included Scrivener, Luna, Twilight and her five friends, Discombobulation, Spike, Ross and Cowlick, Greece and several other Architects, Big Mac, and Pinkamena. A strange gathering, but everyone was serious, everyone was quiet, even if Scrivener kept nervously sipping at the large glass of cola in front of him. And then, the moment he'd been dreading arrived, as Odin turned his eye to the charcoal earth pony and asked quietly: "Can you tell us exactly what you saw in your mind, Scrivener Blooms? Or any particularly-important details?" "Yes and no." Scrivener said after a moment, gazing awkwardly around at the group. Twilight and Luna both looked at him encouragingly as he half-stood, and then he cleared his throat and rubbed slowly at the scarred side of his face, making himself calm down even with all the expectant eyes on him before he continued quietly: "It's like... like when Delight died... it did something to me. Like somehow, her memories and... more... were passed into me. "I think Visionary... gave me some kind of... I dunno, the ability to see into the memories of these Clockwork Ponies. Obviously, Delight... dying... had something to do with how I saw into her mind, was some kind of trigger for the power, and I don't know what that means." Scrivener faltered, looking down and rubbing at his face slowly again. "I saw... Valthrudnir corrupting her. Clear as day, I saw how it happened. How he manipulated and tricked her, after... who knows how long leaving her locked up all alone in darkness." "Would have killed sissy." Pinkamena muttered, and Pinkie Pie nodded with a faint smile as she rested against her twin, the half-demon sighing a little before asking flatly: "But how is that important to know? Why the hell did you see that?" "I don't know. But it is important somehow." Scrivener hesitated, then he asked quietly: "Did anyone else notice that Delight didn't have a cutie mark?" This drew interested looks, and Scrivener shook his head slowly, saying quietly: "A lot of the information that entered my mind past... past the vision of what Valthrudnir did to her... has to do with how he was reassigning them. He was deciding for them what their talents should be, erasing their old abilities... their old everything, really... and replacing it with his idea of what purpose they should serve. Delight's purpose was... a spy, an informant, but I think we all got that." Celestia smiled a little and nodded, and Odin held up a hand, asking quietly: "If she was a scout for Clockwork World's forces... does that mean they have begun staging war against us?" Scrivener hesitated, and then he looked down, rubbing slowly at his face as he murmured: "I don't know. The little information I got was something about how... Delight was the lowest member of the... the Hexad, I think it was. Valthrudnir's six go-to ponies, made... from... well..." He quieted, and Twilight traded looks with her friends, who all smiled faintly to one another: Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy. Then Scrivener shook his head a bit, continuing quietly: "They're the Elite of Decretum... of Clockwork World. And from what I saw of the few pieces of memory I was able to understand, they treat... invading, attacking other layers almost like a game. But... not all of it makes sense, like I said. A lot of it is guesswork." He stopped, then said slowly: "But it helps... the memories in my mind get clearer, too, all the same. The old memories, I mean: now more of Visionary's memories are clearer in my head. It's like... like I got another piece of code needed to decode a message or something." Celestia shook her head slowly at this as Sleipnir looked up and asked mildly: "So what does this mean, then, friends? Do we go out and begin smashing apart Clockwork Ponies so that good brother Scrivener Blooms can understand the enemy all the better?" "No, it means we need to prepare. Because undoubtedly, another attack will be staged against us by Clockwork World, and in all likelihood, it will not be far in the future." Odin said quietly, looking grimly back and forth before he sighed a little and looked moodily down. "I do not want to... imagine this is Valthrudnir's work. I can't. If the Jötnar survived his demise, that would make him... not a Jötnar. It would make him something even more powerful than Ymir was... may Mimir take my other eye for being such a fool as to kill him. Aye, it did good in the short term, but had I been more willing to negotiate, to work out our differences... then Valthrudnir would have never become the threat he is now." "Two roads diverged in a wood and I, I took the one less traveled by." Discombobulation said dryly, and then he leaned backwards and shrugged, saying mildly: "You cannot go back and change the past. It's a fool's errand, and not even we fools of Ginnungagap would ever risk it. Sure, it sounds wonderful to say: 'I'll go back in time and kill the oppressive tyrant.' But what if you do that, and it simply paves the way for someone even worse to rise up in his place? It's easy to make the grass look greener with a few coats of spray paint after all, but what's under there is still dead grass... except now it's poisonous on top of everything else." Odin only looked moodily across at the chaos entity for a moment, and then he shook his head, looking over towards Greece and asking quietly: "Have you discovered anything further about the construct that attacked here?" The Nibelung only shook his head, however, sighing a little as he traded a look with Tenochtitlan, the Engineer beside him. "Nothing useful or very good. The scary thing is that it's essentially like... a very large version of... what did you call them, Scrivener?" "Soldier Drones." Scrivener grimaced a bit, rubbing slowly at his face. "I understand a little more about them, too... and unfortunately, the Clockwork Ponies are nothing like the Drones are. Not any of the ones we've seen so far, anyway. These Hexad... well..." "Yeah, we got it. You guys all screwed over my big feeling of victory when you told me that Delight was the weakest one of the group." Pinkamena said moodily, and then she shook her head and sighed a little, rubbing at the red scars on her shoulder. "But I guess I can see how. Invulnerable to everything but being choked to death. Stupid vulnerability." "Valthrudnir would always be careful not to empower any of his minions past anything he could handle himself." Odin said softly, glancing over at the half-demon, and Pinkamena grunted before the falcon-headed god looked towards Celestia. "Freya, your thoughts?" "Scrivener Blooms and Luna both say that this entity... it is like Valthrudnir, and yet it is not. Whatever the Clockwork King is, it is unlikely he's the true Jötnar. And I trust their word on this." Celestia nodded slowly, looking over the table. "But that is no reason we should take this any less seriously. Whatever else, this Clockwork King has an immense army at his disposal, and beings of incredible power, not to mention the Prophet. "What confuses me is why they haven't ordered a full-out attack against us, or done anything to try and lure us to them. Their tactics are almost overly-cautious... their mockery is almost..." Celestia hesitated. "I don't know how to phrase it. But something is wrong with this entire situation." Odin nodded slowly, sighing as he looked down and murmured: "I was afraid you would say that. Kvasir?" Kvasir looked up in surprise, looking back and forth over the table of gathered ponies and other beings, and then he cleared his throat before sitting back and saying finally: "I do not believe that... the threat is as dire as perceived. You are all being blinded by your past encounters with the Jötnar. Yes, I understand that he is awful. I... I understand that better than many of you will believe. But at the same time, when he defeated all of... us... last... we were separate, not together. And we were unaware of him, and his capabilities. I understand that it is very important not to underestimate what he is capable of... but do all of you understand that it's equally important we do not overestimate his strength as well?" There were murmurs around the table at this, and then Luna looked moodily across at Kvasir for a few moments before she asked curiously: "Is it true thou wert kept as a trophy by him?" Kvasir looked up in shock, then he grimaced in disgust before crossing his forelegs and turning away with a half-snarl, half-flush of humiliation. A few ponies glared at Luna, but she only leaned forwards, studying him silently before she said quietly: "I, for a time, was forced to be as a pretty bird in a cage to him, too. I do not claim to understand what thou went through, Kvasir. But please do not be ashamed of what thou wert forced to experience." Now the god looked both surprised and uncertain, hesitantly looking up before he winced when Sleipnir clapped him on the shoulder, smiling warmly across at his sibling. "Well said, little sister! Perhaps thou hast learned a little at our older sibling's hoof after all!" "Aye, but only a little. Besides, Kvasir, 'twas Discombobulation who gossiped away thy secrets, blame him, not I." Luna added cheerfully, and Bob blew a raspberry at her before the winged unicorn huffed and flailed a hoof at him. "I wanted to see if it was true!" "Everything I told you was true. Or at least, I think that everything I told you was true, the story was told to me by Gymbr, after all... so Gymbr could have lied about everything, but in retelling those lies, I would still be honest." Discombobulation replied mildly, and then he winced a bit at the look he received from Odin, reaching up and making a careful zipping motion across his lips. But the once-god only leaned forwards, asking slowly: "This is the story that you were sharing at the sweets store, isn't it?" "Former sweets store. Until we get about fifty licenses we're out of work." Pinkamena interrupted moodily, and then she sighed a little, slumping back grouchily. "Some thanks. Stupid crowbait from the other shops still want to charge me for the crimes." Discombobulation remained silent as he averted his eyes carefully from the one-eyed gaze of the once-god, and then Twilight leaned up and said quietly: "It is, yes. Do you... understand at all how... this story never could have happened, but Gymbr and other things... could exist? Could be true?" Odin was silent, and even Celestia glanced at Twilight with surprise at her directness... and although the violet mare was blushing, she all the same seemed determined. Odin, meanwhile, had lapsed into thoughtfulness, gazing up at the ceiling before he nodded slowly and held up a gloved hand, saying quietly: "Give me some time to think on it, and I shall tell you my answer. But for now, we have the subject of Clockwork World to attend to." "Did you see... anything about... us?" Fluttershy asked quietly, leaning towards Scrivener worriedly... and Scrivener smiled faintly over at her before he hesitated, then held up a hoof and tilted it back and forth. "I... I learned their names, at least." Scrivener said softly, looking back and forth over the table. "Delight, Beauty, Prudence, Courage, Valor, and Wisdom. I... think we can figure out who's who." Applejack and Rainbow Dash traded looks, then Rainbow gave an ironic grin, asking dryly: "Do you think I'm Courage or Valor?" "I don't know if you sound like either." Applejack smiled a bit before she glanced down at the table as Rainbow huffed, then softened when the earth pony mare murmured: "I dunno if I sound like either myself, though. Because the thought of these Clockwork Ponies... scares the hell out of me. Makes me actually want to consider... running away, with Avalon and all." She looked up after a moment, asking quietly as she turned her eyes to Luna: "Just how do you do it? Hell, how do you and Scrivy both manage to do it? Go out there, fighting against these things that are so... damn... awful, and yet knowing you got kids at home. Knowing that... you could die, and leave them without you there to take care of them. You could die, and miss all their birthdays, all their growing up... or worst of all, leave them to be hunted down and hurt." Luna only smiled faintly, however, trading a look with Scrivener before she said softly: "Because I do not think of what will happen if I die, Applejack. I think of what will happen if I do not fight." Applejack looked thoughtful at this, glancing towards Rainbow Dash... and when he gave a slow nod, she smiled a little, turning her eyes back towards the winged unicorn. "Yeah. Yeah, I reckon I see how that might help." There was quiet for a moment, and then Cowlick looked up as Ross nudged her gently, the mare engineer smiling wryly: "You guys mind if Ross and I cut out a little early? I'm glad to hear the conversation but this is about the time Ross and I take a walk most days, and well... I don't see how I can be of much help here, except that I promise to analyze anything you guys bring me from Clockwork World." Luna glanced towards Odin, but Odin only shrugged and looked towards Celestia. The ivory winged unicorn gave a slight, amused smile at this, then she turned her eyes to Cowlick, nodding. "Go ahead. But I do have a request for you, Cowlick: our soldiers are going to need to be outfitted with the best equipment possible. Can you provide that for us?" "You guys write up a list... hell, you guys just tell me what materials you can send me, and I'll tell you what I can put together with Greece and his boys, assuming they'll help out." Cowlick replied with a grin and a wink, and the dwarf nodded with a chuckle. "So yeah. Just pass it on to the cross-dresser, he'll get it to me." "It's a traditional battle kilt." Greece sighed, looking imploringly after Cowlick, but she only winked as she headed for the door, Ross following after her and giving a shy smile over his shoulder to the others before the two headed out. It was a sign that the others used to begin dispersing, as the meeting drew to a close: Greece lingered as Celestia and Twilight dug out inventory logs, and Scrivener and Luna sat with Pinkamena as she rested moodily back on a cushion with Sleipnir beside her. Odin was still at the table, his head bowed in quiet thought as he talked a little with Kvasir, who kept sneaking little glances towards them now. Everyone else was gone... or mostly gone, in the case of Discombobulation. The Draconequus was in his aquarium apartment, glaring up at Luna pointedly, but she was ignoring him even as Sleipnir giggled like a child as he leaned down and peered at the tiny chimerical creature. "'Tis like a housepet! Nay, 'tis even better than that, 'tis like one of those pets the mages always kept and we had such fun tormenting!" Scrivener gave Luna a flat look, and the winged unicorn huffed, saying dryly: "A synthetically created familiar is not a real animal. 'Tis perfectly fair to use it as a kickball, especially if it is linked to its annoying mage master." Sleipnir nodded cheerfully at this, and then he smiled and wrapped a foreleg around Pinkamena, making her blush ever so slightly even as she grumbled and half-shoved at him, but he only pulled her closer before leaning down and kissing her forehead tenderly, saying softly: "And I heard thou put on a show worthy of any Valkyrie, is that not right, Luna? Our big sister was gloriously impressed with her, and that is rare indeed, is it not?" "I would have done better if I'd known... hell, should have done better anyway." Pinkamena muttered, and then she hesitated before looking up at Luna and Scrivener, saying quietly: "You two. You both know about me taking Ambrosia, and... you know I wanna be stronger. I think what just happened proves that, especially if Delight was the weakest freak." There was silence for a few moments, as Sleipnir looked quietly down at Pinkamena, but the half-demon only looked pointedly, calmly across at Scrivener and Luna. The two traded a look after a moment, thinking back on a past promise they had already made before Luna looked forwards, saying quietly: "I need to hear thou say it." "I want to be a demon. Full demon, no more... halfway between worlds crap." Pinkamena replied calmly, but her eyes flicked almost imperceptibly towards Sleipnir, as if scared of his reaction even as she continued in a firm, steady voice: "Whatever it takes, I'll do it." "Thou does not need that, my phoenix." Sleipnir said softly, looking quietly down at the half-demon, but Pinkamena only grunted, moodily shifting her eyes away, and the enormous earth pony smiled wryly, shaking his head and making his mane of vines sway a little around his features. "Oh, damnable silly creature." "Oh, the hell do you know? You're so goddamn strong you can stop a train with your fat face." Pinkamena snapped irritably, gritting her teeth. "I got my flank handed to me by a goddamn bad clone of sissy." "Mine... mine face is not fat." Sleipnir reached up and touched his own handsome features, looking almost hurt, and Pinkamena sighed and gave him a flat look for a few moments before he cleared his throat and continued firmly: "But all the same, thou defeated the creature, and thou art strong in ways that are far greater than simple physical superiority. I... I do not desire to see thee... giving thy soul to Helheim. As a matter of fact, I shan't permit thee to, for I have already decided that... thy heart and soul and wicked mind belong with me." Sleipnir nodded firmly once even as a faint flush crawled up over his features, and Luna and Scrivener both stared as Pinkamena looked up at him in amazement, as the cruelty and cold cunning both vanished from her features into surprise and vulnerable beauty. And then she swallowed thickly before shaking her head and mumbling: "No, you... you don't mean-" "Yes, yes I do! I shall... I shall prove that I do, right now!" Sleipnir said suddenly, then he yanked Pinkamena to her hooves, dragging the stunned half-demon past Luna and Scrivener and knocking them both sprawling. He hurried towards the table, and Odin looked up as Kvasir winced as Sleipnir called loudly enough to make both Twilight and Celestia stare as well: "Father! Father, Father! Father!" "Yes, Sleipnir?" Odin asked in a resigned voice, as he rubbed slowly at the scarred side of his face. His eye settled on Pinkamena, studying the half-demon for a moment before it moved back to Sleipnir as the stallion breathed hard in and out, looking determined and yet almost afraid at the same time, and realization spread over the once-god's face before he began to shake his head hurriedly, but too late. "Father, I ask permission to take Pinkamena as my wife, if she will have me!" Sleipnir half-shouted, half-wheezed, and Pinkamena stared at him incredulously before the enormous earth pony spun towards her, seizing her front hooves in his own and shaking them firmly as he looked down at her imploringly, pleadingly, anxiously. "I adore thee, phoenix, I love thee, and desire thee, and thou makes me happy, happier in ways I cannot describe and... and... and I shall give up everything I must to be with thee!" He paused, then grinned awkwardly, adding lamely: "But I would like it very much if I could be with thee without giving up anything else, either." And then Sleipnir half-spun suddenly, almost yanking Pinkamena off her hooves as he glared determinedly towards Odin and declared: "And if thou denies me I shall leave Valhalla, I shall leave Valhalla behind, and may Heaven fall to Helheim for all I care! And... and if thou denies me, Pinkamena, I shall cry like a little filly and... and I hope Helheim melts like the great and awful ice cube it is!" Pinkamena glared up at the earth pony, then slapped him hard across the face, Sleipnir wincing as his head twisted towards Odin, who reached out and backhanded him hard enough to knock his head back to face Pinkamena, and then then half-demon reached up and seized into Sleipnir's skull and vine-mane, yanking him down into a rough, firm kiss before the half-demon and enormous stallion both fell over, and Odin sighed tiredly as he dropped his elbow on the desk and rested his beak on a gloved hand, Kvasir gaping stupidly before the once-god picked up his walking stick and used it to poke the two ponies apart. "Enough, Sleipnir, I don't want the sight of you on the floor with the half-demon to be one of my last memories." Sleipnir cleared his throat as he hurriedly sat up, flushed and with a hoof-print on one side of his face and a hand-shaped mark on the other, and Odin slowly reached up and rubbed at his forehead as if he had a migraine before he looked up moodily at the stallion. Sleipnir stared across at him pleadingly as Pinkamena sat up and glared, but visibly trembled... and then Odin threw his arms in the air with an exasperated sigh. "By Mimir's head! So I either deny my son the right to walk into a deathtrap and he abandons everything we've worked for, or I accept this and let you cheerfully walk into the most dangerous and deadly prison any man can enter?" The stallion stared as Pinkamena growled, and Luna and Celestia both leaned forwards intently as Odin looked back and forth... then he sighed and stood up moodily, leaning on his walking stick and looking into his son's eyes before the once-god finally gave a wry smile, shaking his head slowly. "Very well, Sleipnir. But only on one condition: you will either live with her in Valhalla... or you will live with her on this layer of reality. Is that understood?" Sleipnir's eyes widened as he trembled... and then he leapt forwards, tackling Odin to the ground and hugging him tightly as the once-god wheezed in horror, Celestia and Luna both laughing as the younger sibling charged forwards and leapt over the table to dive into Sleipnir, crashing backwards with him before Celestia suddenly ran forwards as well, tackling her siblings in a moment of undignified joy, the three embracing fiercely as Sleipnir called happily: "Oh most wonderful of days! Oh Father, thou hast all my thanks and my love!" Odin only groaned tiredly as he slowly picked himself off the ground, Twilight staring in amazement and Scrivener laughing and grinning widely as Pinkamena swallowed thickly, then she snapped suddenly: "Hey, I didn't say yes! You guys can't just decide this crap for me, you hear me?" Sleipnir, however, only grinned brightly at her even as Luna and Celestia looked up at the demon almost pleadingly, and then the enormous earth pony gently pushed his sisters aside, striding over to the half demon and looking down into her eyes, their gazes locking before he asked quietly: "Pinkamena. Will thou be my bride, sweet phoenix?" "And what if I still want to be a demon? Would you marry a demon, Sleipnir?" Pinkamena asked quietly, reaching up and grasping his shoulders. But Sleipnir's response was to simply tilt her head up, kissing her for a soft moment, fearless, unafraid... and when he drew back, she closed her eyes and dropped her head forwards against his chest, pushing against him and whispering: "You better not sleep around on me too much." "Only a little. And I'll always tell thee when I do." Sleipnir winked at her, and Pinkamena laughed despite herself before the stallion smiled radiantly over his shoulder at his sisters as Celestia and Luna both gazed with joy at their brother, before the male threw his head back and laughed loudly, then declared: "Celestia! What nonsense is this, I was never supposed to be married, and certainly not before thou! Now we must find someone for thee!" Celestia laughed at this, shaking her head before she smiled warmly over at Odin, saying softly: "Odin... you have all my thanks in the world." "Yes, Father, I can never repay thee, never!" Sleipnir declared, beginning to turn around, but Odin winced and hurriedly half-staggered around the table to avoid being tackled again, holding up a gloved hand as he leaned heavily on his walking stick. "You can, Sleipnir, by letting me return to Valhalla for now to take a nap, and figuring out the rest of the details of this on your own." Odin said pointedly, rubbing slowly at his frail chest as he carefully limped towards the door, and Sleipnir grinned lamely after the once-god. Then Odin grimaced a bit as he reached the door and turned around with a sigh, hesitating before he nodded once towards Pinkamena, saying quietly: "Please take care of my son... but I think you're what he needs in his life. And if you truly care for one-another, then... I honestly wish you the best of luck." "Don't need it." Pinkamena replied with a smile, glancing after a moment towards Sleipnir, and then she returned her eyes towards Odin, adding moodily: "No more than I needed your goddamn permission." Scrivener smiled a little at this as Sleipnir laughed and Celestia and Luna both smiled, and then the once-god's eyes roved to Kvasir, looking at him curiously as he asked: "Are you going to come back to Valhalla? Or are you content to stay here for now?" Kvasir looked hesitantly back at Odin, and then he simply mumbled something before he wheezed loudly when Sleipnir stood up and firmly hugged him around the throat with one foreleg, throttling the unicorn-shaped god as he said warmly: "Fear not, Father! I shall ensure that mine good friend Kvasir returns safe and sound to Valhalla, but I am sure he will want to participate in my bachelor party! Or at least, one of the many bachelor parties I plan to have before the day of the wedding." He grinned playfully over at Pinkamena, who rolled her eyes and then shoved a hoof against his face, making him wince as she said sourly: "Just keep in mind that any crap you pull, I get to do the same goddamn thing. So don't get mad at me if I find a stallion more handsome than you and decide he's more worth my time than you are." Sleipnir only grinned at this, however, winking over at her even as her hoof stayed mashed against his face as he asked playfully: "And if thou did find such an incredible and handsome specimen, what would thou do if I decided to lure away the-" "I'm leaving now. Sleipnir, please return to Valhalla within a week, after you've figured things out." Odin said tiredly, rubbing at his face and turning quickly to duck through the door, and Sleipnir grinned lamely at his father's back as Celestia laughed and Kvasir finally managed to pull away, rubbing at his throat. Then Luna hurriedly ran after Odin, and Scrivener smiled a bit as she shot him a half-pleading look, the stallion following after her as he nodded. The once-god glanced over his shoulder with surprise at the sight of Luna following after him, and then the falcon-headed entity sighed a little, beginning dryly: "Brynhild, I am very sore and tired. I am not going to lead you to where the new portal is and I would like to politely ask you to refrain from trying to follow me. I don't want to play hide-and-seek in the Everfree Forest today." "No, no, no... no. 'Tis not that." Luna said grouchily, glaring up at him for a moment before she cleared her throat and sat back, looking almost imperious as she said firmly: "Thou hast... my thanks, Odin. Thou art... a good... whatever-thou-art. Man. Bird-thing. Not-god." Odin looked down at her for a few moments, then he turned slowly around before Luna lowered her head and added in a softer voice: "And thy generosity in this matter... 'twill not go unrewarded or be forgotten, Odin. Thou art... art letting my brother return to Midgard. Do not think I did not understand nor notice this." "It's my wedding gift to him. Although there will have to rules and limitations put in place, of course..." Odin hesitated, and then he looked towards the library, slowly squeezing the handle of his cane before he asked quietly: "Does he truly love the half-demon? And does she love him?" "Yes. More than I have ever seen either of them show tenderness and love to anyone else." Luna said empathetically, and then she smiled a little, adding quietly: "I do not believe 'twas just hysterics that were talking in there either, Odin. I believe that given the choice... Sleipnir truly would make sacrifice of even his honor and Valhalla for her." "I should slap him again." Odin sighed tiredly, but then he nodded slowly after a moment, murmuring: "Very well. But I have things to think of and to plan. Brynhild, Scrivener Blooms, take care of yourselves. And... take care of my son." "We shall, Odin." Luna bowed her head politely, and Odin smiled faintly in return before he turned and headed quietly through the crowded streets. For a few moments, Scrivener and Luna simply watched him go... and then the winged unicorn shook her head and gave Scrivener a bit of a grin even as she blushed a little, saying firmly: "See? Even I am capable of letting past grudges rest. Do not ever doubt in that again, Scrivy, 'lest I be forced to pummel the lesson into thee." Scrivener nodded, leaning towards her... and Luna turned her head quickly so their lips met in a soft, short kiss, her starry mane twisting backwards before she pulled away and smiled warmly. "But come, come! Oh, there is so much to plan and for once I feel as giddy as a filly over the thought of this wedding! My brother, beloved Sleipnir, married... although I fear that it shall do as much to curb him as marriage curbed me." "I think marrying me made you worse, actually." Scrivener said mildly, turning to follow Luna inside, and she laughed as they headed towards where Sleipnir and Pinkmena were resting together, with Celestia and Twilight both talking to them excitedly. Then Sleipnir looked up with a jovial grin as his sister and brother-in-law approached, calling easily over the talking winged unicorns: "There thou art! I wish to announce to thee both that we have already made our wedding plans." Celestia and Twilight both immediately fell silent, staring at him dumbly. "We shall be married in... two days' time?" "Yeah, that should be long enough to get the few people we want together and stuff." Pinkamena agreed, then she shrugged and added moodily: "Guess we'll use Sugar Cube Corners. Can't sell the crap but sissy and I can at least bake up a good batch for our guests and garbage." "But... Sleipnir, Pinkamena, a wedding is a very important, very big occasion. It often takes months of planning, and there's everything from forms and paperwork to details and decorations..." Celestia began slowly, but the half-demon snorted and cut her off, raising a hoof moodily. "Yeah, no. I'm going to be a full-blooded demon eventually, one way or the other. Sleipnir is... I dunno what the hell you are. I'm not banging a dead guy, right?" Pinkamena asked moodily, poking at him as Luna covered her mouth to try and suppress a fit of wild giggling. "Have I ever seemed dead in bed?" Sleipnir waggled his eyebrows at her, and Pinkamena rolled her eyes, then grinned widely, and the stallion huffed immediately and added flatly: "That one time does not count! I was extremely drunk and had already indulged many wenches before I arrived at thy home!" The half-demon only snorted in amusement and rolled her eyes. "Whatever you need to tell yourself. Anyway, I don't give a rat's ass if the marriage is legal or binding or whatever. That doesn't matter, we're both... outcasts of this society anyway. I just care that it's..." She quieted, looking over at Sleipnir, who softened and reached a hoof up to stroke Pinkamena's features, murmuring softly: "It shall be held as sacred between us. And big sister, 'twould be a pleasure if thou would officiate with a few words... and little sister, I desire thee as my second." Luna smiled warmly at this, her eyes brightening as Pinkamena snorted, then said dryly: "Well, that's fitting, at least. You two are freakishly close. You make me wonder if there's some hillbilly thing going on here." "Oh stop being so jealous!" Sleipnir laughed, however, turning his eyes with a grin to Pinkamena. "Damnable demon, art thou greed? Then again, I know thee well enough to suspect there is more than a touch of lust to thee, battle-maiden..." "Shut up." Pinkamena shoved her hoof against his face again, and Sleipnir huffed and flailed a bit against her before the half-demon suddenly leapt to her hooves, saying firmly: "Sit and stay, gigolo. I'm going to go and tell sissy what's going on. Wanna break it to her... you know, as nice as I can." She turned to head towards the door... then she halted, looking over her shoulder and saying quietly: "It's a package deal, you know that, right? Sissy comes with it, and all her quirks and needs and weirdness. You need to be okay with that. And you need to be okay with taking care of her, too." "Thou makes it sound like a chore; why would I see it as anything but a privilege?" Sleipnir replied softly, smiling warmly across at Pinkamena before he grinned proudly over at Celestia. "I'm marrying twins!" Pinkamena rolled her eyes, but she was smiling all the same as she turned and shoved through the door, and Sleipnir giggled a little to himself before almost-forgotten Kvasir asked moodily from the table: "She's a gluttony demon. Do you know how lucky you are she hasn't eaten you alive yet?" "She is a half-demon, and she is more wrath than she is gluttony." Sleipnir said almost stiffly, giving Kvasir a flat look as the unicorn-shaped god leaned back over his chair... and Scrivener stared as he realized that the polymorphed entity didn't have hooves but smooth, black hands. "Art thou going to start stirring up trouble now that my beloved wife is gone?" He paused, then tasted these words with a smile, tilting his head upwards with a dreamy sigh before he said cheerfully: "I have a wife! I have a wife now, Celestia, Luna! What a happy day this is!" Scrivener snorted in amusement as Luna and Celestia both smiled despite themselves, the ivory winged unicorn saying softly after a moment: "Technically, Sleipnir, you were just engaged-" "Nay, she is already my wife. We just need to make it official to the public." Sleipnir said staunchly, and Celestia sighed, but looked strangely touched at this statement all the same, gazing with warmth and entertainment at her brother before the enormous, vine-maned equine grinned cheerfully from Kvasir to Scrivener. "Now, both of thee! I expect thee both to attend my bachelor party! And... well, I suppose thou may come as well, little sister, thou art a mighty stallion too, art thou not?" "I am." Luna agreed firmly, and Sleipnir laughed warmly as Scrivener sighed and rolled his eyes in amusement before the sapphire mare grinned widely over at Celestia and Twilight. "And what about thou? Perhaps, Celestia, thou could do a pretty dance for our amusement!" "I think Twilight and I will help Pinkamena with... anything she might need instead." Celestia said carefully, and Twilight nodded hurriedly. Scrivener gave the violet mare a flat and half-pleading look, but she only shrugged and gave him a slight smile in return, making the stallion grumble a little to himself when his eyes roved to Sleipnir and Luna, wondering just what an unsupervised, last-minute bachelor party with them would be like. "Please... please don't ruin your marriage before it even begins." "I plan to stay true to my promise! I shall always be honest with her, and I shall always put her first and honor her wishes and not sleep with too many strangers!" Sleipnir retorted huffily, leaning back and slapping his own broad chest. "I have my honor, big sister!" "Yes, but little dignity and questionable morals, made much worse by your inability to look ahead and consider the consequences for your actions." Celestia replied dryly, and Kvasir grumbled in agreement. Sleipnir only looked thoughtful before he nodded a few times as well, smiling almost childishly, and the ivory winged unicorn sighed a little as she turned to look at Scrivener Blooms. "Please do your best to keep them in line. I know it's not entirely fair to ask but... I need someone to keep an eye on him and Luna." Scrivener only nodded moodily, and Sleipnir grinned widely as he looked over at Luna, leaning over and whispering excitedly to her, but when Scrivener concentrated, he could hear the words as clearly as if Sleipnir were speaking to him. A moment later, the charcoal stallion frowned, then said flatly: "Don't you dare." "Damnable soul-link! I require a moment alone with my sister to plot against thee, poet!" Sleipnir huffed, then he leaned forwards and threw a punch firmly into Scrivener's skull right between his eyes, and the charcoal earth pony collapsed backwards into an unconscious sprawl as Luna twitched, then stared stupidly before flopping over as well, and the vine-maned stallion winced and grabbed at his face. "Oh damnation, I forgot it goes both ways! Oh no, there is that terrible sense of... Kvasir, quickly, before he becomes possessed again!" With that, Sleipnir lunged past a gaping Celestia and Twilight and sprinted for the library door, crashing through it and scrambling out into the road before he bolted off into Ponyville. Kvasir, meanwhile, only sighed tired before he turned his eyes back to the book on the table in front of him, muttering distastefully: "I'll never understand why Odin thinks there's a point to saving mortals, when even the best examples of their kind repeat the same old mistakes again and again." Category:Transcript Category:Story